DOCSLIB.ORG

First Mesozoic Record of the Scleractinian Madrepora from the Maastrichtian Siliceous Limestones of Poland

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
First Mesozoic Record of the Scleractinian Madrepora from the Maastrichtian Siliceous Limestones of Poland Facies (2007) 53: 67–78 DOI 10.1007/s10347-006-0089-6 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Jarosław Stolarski · Agostina Vertino First Mesozoic record of the scleractinian Madrepora from the Maastrichtian siliceous limestones of Poland Received: 11 July 2006 / Accepted: 11 September 2006 / Published online: 10 November 2006 C Springer-Verlag 2006 Abstract The objective of the present article is to doc- Keywords Scleractinia . Madrepora . Cretaceous . ument the first stratigraphic occurrence of the colonial Maastrichtian . Siliceous limestone oculinid Madrepora, known from the modern seas as an azooxanthellate taxon that contributes to the formation of deep-water coral reefs. The Upper Cretaceous specimens of Introduction Madrepora sp. reported herein from Poland were recovered from Upper Maastrichtian (Nasiłow´ and Bochotnica local- The last few decades of exploration of Recent deep-water ities) and Lower Maastrichtian (Bliz˙ow´ locality) siliceous environments cast an entirely new light on the impor- limestones. The corals are preserved as imprints of the tance of scleractinian corals for the deep-water ecosys- branch fragments and molds of the calices. Despite their tems. Deep-water coral reefs (reef sensu Freiwald 1998; moldic preservation, the coral remains exhibit key generic Freiwald et al. 2004), whose framework is formed by scle- features of the genus Madrepora; including (1) sympodial ractinian taxa with arborescent growth forms, proved to be colony growth form with calices arranged in opposite and the regions of essential habitat, feeding grounds, recruit- alternating rows in one plane of the branch, and (2) imprints ment and nursery for a great deal of marine organisms. of the granular coenosteum texture, occasionally showing Deep-water coral reef ecosystems are currently a subject of peculiar reticulate patterns. Some features of the Creta- broad multidisciplinary studies (reviews by Freiwald et al. ceous Madrepora sp., such as the reticulate coenosteum 2004; Roberts et al. 2006). Among the current research top- texture, the range of the corallite diameter (2.8–4 mm), ics, traditional skeletal-based and molecular approaches, a and the arrangement of the septa in three regular cycles baseline for biodiversity assessments, are receiving con- resemble the skeletal features of the modern, typically con- siderable attention. The results of these studies show that structional, species M. oculata (type species). The lack in contrast to the tropical reefs, renowned for the sclerac- of any evidence of coral buildups and related debris in the tinian diversity, the Recent deep-water coral build-ups are whole Upper Cretaceous/Paleogene sequences from Poland generally formed by only 1 to 3 azooxanthellate sclerac- and the sparse occurrence of colony fragments, suggests tinian species. Globally, only six genera (and six species) that the Cretaceous Madrepora sp. formed small, isolated contribute significantly to the deep-water constructions: the colonies. traditional oculinids Madrepora oculata Linnaeus (1758), Oculina varicosa Lesueur (1821), the caryophyllids Lophe- J. Stolarski () lia pertusa (Linnaeus 1758), Goniocorella dumosa (Al- Instytut Paleobiologii PAN, cock 1902), Solenosmilia variabilis Duncan (1873), and Twarda 51/55, the dendrophylliid Enallopsammia profunda (de Pourtales` 00-818 Warszawa, Poland e-mail: [email protected] 1867). The evolutionary history of the Recent scleractinian taxa contributing to the formation of deep-water coral reefs A. Vertino is still poorly known. Until now, the earliest confirmed Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, University of Catania, records of these genera have been documented for the Corso Italia 55, 95129 Catania, Italy Cenozoic: (1) Madrepora sobral Filkorn (1994) from the Paleocene of Seymour Island, Antarctica (Filkorn 1994; A. Vertino Stolarski 1996); (2) Oculina becki (Nielsen 1922) from the Institut fuer Palaeontologie, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Paleocene of Denmark (Floris 1980; Bernecker and Wei- Loewenichstr. 28, 91054 Erlangen, Germany dlich 1990, 2005). The generic attribution of Campanian e-mail: [email protected] Oculina nordenskjoeldi (Felix 1909) from Antarctica is controversial, see Filkorn 1994;(3)Enallopsammia laddi 68 Wells 1977 from the Late Eocene of Tonga; (4) Lophelia Maria di Leuca) and the second from silty deposits crop- defrancei (Milne Edwards and Haime 1857) from the Mid- ping out in southern Italy (Lazzaro, Reggio Calabria). dle Miocene of Sardinia (De Angelis d’Ossat and Neviani Institutional abbreviations PMC, Museum of Paleontol- 1897; see also the overview by Taviani et al. 2005). Two ogy, University of Catania (Universita` di Catania, Diparti- genera have been recognized only from modern seas: (5) mento di Scienze Geologiche); ZPAL, Institute of Paleobi- Goniocorella and (6) Solenosmilia. ology, Polish Academy of Sciences (Instytut Paleobiologii, The goal of this report is to document the earliest, Late PAN, Warszawa). Cretaceous occurrence of Madrepora (Madrepora sp.) that represents also the first colonial scleractinian described from Upper Cretaceous deposits of Poland. Amateur col- Geologic setting and palaeoenvironmental remarks lectors and paleontologists familiar with the Upper Cre- taceous deposits of Poland, interviewed by the senior au- Maastrichtian deposits in the Lublin Upland thor, acknowledged the possibility of overlooking colonial coral remnants that could be taken for common odd-shaped The studied samples with the colony fragments of sponge fragments. We hope that this paper will trigger Madrepora sp. are from the Maastrichtian deposits ex- recognition of dissolved Madrepora branches and more posed in three outcrops on the Lublin Upland: Nasiłow´ data about this potential construction-builder will become (1) and Bochotnica (2) located on the Vistula river banks available soon. (“Vistula section” further in the text), and (3) Bliz˙ow´ lo- cated in the central part of the Lublin Upland (Fig. 1). The Late Cretaceous succession in Lublin Upland is predom- Materials and methods inantly marly-calcareous, locally with siliciclastic input, and composed of siliceous limestones (local term: opoka), Fossil remains of the scleractinian corals are rare in the Up- marlstones, and marly limestones; white chalk appears in per Cretaceous deposits of Poland. From the Maastrichtian the eastern part of the region (Pozaryski˙ 1956; Krassowska deposits of the Lublin Upland, only scleractinians with 1997; Hakenberg and Swidrowska´ 2001). solitary growth forms were described and traditionally all The Maastrichtian in Poland is traditionally subdivided were classified into Caryophylliina ( = Turbinolidae in into four belemnite zones: Lower Maastrichtian Belem- Siemiradzki 1926). Most of the coral finds in siliceous nella lanceolata and Belemnella occidentalis zones and limestones (most common Upper Cretaceous facies in this Upper Maastrichtian Belemnitella junior and Belemnella region) are represented by poorly integrated molds or im- kazimiroviensis zones (Ciesli´ nski´ and Wyrwicka 1970; prints (as are most of the originally aragonite shells), al- Błaszkiewicz 1980; Abdel-Gawad 1986). According to a though body fossils with the original skeleton interpreted new basal Maastrichtian boundary definition (Odin and as neomorphically altered are also reported (Gautret et al. Laumerelle 2002), most of the B. lanceolata Zone should, 2000). however, be retained in the Campanian (e.g., Niebuhr 2003; The three colony fragments described in this paper are Walaszczyk 2004; see also Fig. 1B). The Lower Maas- represented by the imprints of branches and molds of trichtian may additionally be subdivided based on inoce- corallites. Typically, the surface of the cavities left by the ramids, as recently proposed by Walaszczyk et al. (2002). dissolved skeleton is coated by orange-brown ferrous ox- The tentative correlation of the inoceramid and belemnite ides (Figs. 2, 3). The branch fragments were collected at zonations is presented in Fig. 1 (see also Machalski 2005). three localities. The best preserved one (colony removed In the Vistula section, at the western margin of the Lublin from the rock in two parts ZPAL H.19/6/B139, and ZPAL Upland, the Maastrichtian (B. lanceolata Zone) starts with H.19/6/B140, respectively) is from the Late Maastrichtian opoka. The facies changes in the upper part of the B. occi- of Nasiłow´ (Fig. 1). It consists of ca. eight branches and dentalis zone. Somewhere at this level a more marly (with about 25 corallites (Figs. 2A, 3). The other two speci- chalk intercalations) succession appears, which ranges up mens examined in this study, the first from the Late Maas- to the base of the B. kazimiroviensis zone, where it turns trichtian of Bochotnica (ZPAL H.19/8/B160; Fig. 4), the again into siliceous limestone (Błaszkiewicz 1980). These second from the Early Maastrichtian of Bliz˙ow´ (ZPAL upper siliceous limestones crop out in two quarries of H.19/7/B144; Fig. 2B), consist of one and two branches, Nasiłow´ and Bochotnica, which yield the fragments of respectively, with five corallites preserved on each spec- Madrepora sp. described herein. The facies change from the imen. Attempts to cast some corallites with resin and to siliceous limestones to marls and chalk in the Vistula sec- dissolve the ambient rock, proved unsuccessful as many of tion may possibly be a record of a mid-Maastrichtian deep- the post-septal fissures are filled with the calcite cement ening of the basin. A shallowing trend is observed towards or marly sediment that prevent either
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Checklist of Fish and Invertebrates Listed in the CITES Appendices
    JOINTS NATURE \=^ CONSERVATION COMMITTEE Checklist of fish and mvertebrates Usted in the CITES appendices JNCC REPORT (SSN0963-«OStl JOINT NATURE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE Report distribution Report Number: No. 238 Contract Number/JNCC project number: F7 1-12-332 Date received: 9 June 1995 Report tide: Checklist of fish and invertebrates listed in the CITES appendices Contract tide: Revised Checklists of CITES species database Contractor: World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL Comments: A further fish and invertebrate edition in the Checklist series begun by NCC in 1979, revised and brought up to date with current CITES listings Restrictions: Distribution: JNCC report collection 2 copies Nature Conservancy Council for England, HQ, Library 1 copy Scottish Natural Heritage, HQ, Library 1 copy Countryside Council for Wales, HQ, Library 1 copy A T Smail, Copyright Libraries Agent, 100 Euston Road, London, NWl 2HQ 5 copies British Library, Legal Deposit Office, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7BQ 1 copy Chadwick-Healey Ltd, Cambridge Place, Cambridge, CB2 INR 1 copy BIOSIS UK, Garforth House, 54 Michlegate, York, YOl ILF 1 copy CITES Management and Scientific Authorities of EC Member States total 30 copies CITES Authorities, UK Dependencies total 13 copies CITES Secretariat 5 copies CITES Animals Committee chairman 1 copy European Commission DG Xl/D/2 1 copy World Conservation Monitoring Centre 20 copies TRAFFIC International 5 copies Animal Quarantine Station, Heathrow 1 copy Department of the Environment (GWD) 5 copies Foreign & Commonwealth Office (ESED) 1 copy HM Customs & Excise 3 copies M Bradley Taylor (ACPO) 1 copy ^\(\\ Joint Nature Conservation Committee Report No.
    [Show full text]
  • Habitat-Forming Deep-Sea Corals in the Northeast Pacific Ocean
    Habitat-forming deep-sea corals in the Northeast Pacific Ocean Peter Etnoyer1, Lance E. Morgan2 1 Aquanautix Consulting, 3777 Griffith View Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA ([email protected]) 2 Marine Conservation Biology Institute, 4878 Warm Springs Rd., Glen Ellen, CA 95442, USA Abstract. We define habitat-forming deep-sea corals as those families of octocorals, hexacorals, and stylasterids with species that live deeper than 200 m, with a majority of species exhibiting complex branching morphology and a sufficient size to provide substrata or refugia to associated species. We present 2,649 records (name, geoposition, depth, and data quality) from eleven institutions on eight habitat- forming deep-sea coral families, including octocorals in the families Coralliidae, Isididae, Paragorgiidae and Primnoidae, hexacorals in the families Antipathidae, Oculinidae and Caryophylliidae, and stylasterids in the family Stylasteridae. The data are ranked according to record quality. We compare family range and distribution as predicted by historical records to the family extent as informed by recent collections aboard the National Oceanic of Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration 2002 Gulf of Alaska Seamount Expedition (GOASEX). We present a map of one of these families, the Primnoidae. We find that these habitat-forming families are widespread throughout the Northeast Pacific, save Caryophylliidae (Lophelia sp.) and Oculinidae (Madrepora sp.), which are limited in occurrence. Most coral records fall on the continental shelves, in Alaska, or Hawaii, likely reflecting research effort. The vertical range of these families, based on large samples (N >200), is impressive. Four families have maximum-recorded depths deeper than 1500 m, and minimum depths shallower than 40 m.
    [Show full text]
  • Pseudosiderastrea Formosa Sp. Nov. (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia)
    Zoological Studies 51(1): 93-98 (2012) Pseudosiderastrea formosa sp. nov. (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) a New Coral Species Endemic to Taiwan Michel Pichon1, Yao-Yang Chuang2,3, and Chaolun Allen Chen2,3,4,* 1Museum of Tropical Queensland, 70-102 Flinders Street, Townsville 4810, Australia 2Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 115, Taiwan 3Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan Univ., Taipei 106, Taiwan 4Institute of Life Science, National Taitung Univ., Taitung 904, Taiwan (Accepted September 1, 2011) Michel Pichon, Yao-Yang Chuang, and Chaolun Allen Chen (2012) Pseudosiderastrea formosa sp. nov. (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) a new coral species endemic to Taiwan. Zoological Studies 51(1): 93-98. Pseudosiderastrea formosa sp. nov. is a new siderastreid scleractinian coral collected in several localities in Taiwan. It lives on rocky substrates where it forms encrusting colonies. Results of morphological observations and molecular genetic analyses are presented. The new species is described and compared to P. tayamai and Siderastrea savignyana, and its morphological and phylogenic affinities are discussed. http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/51.1/93.pdf Key words: Pseudosiderastrea formosa sp. nov., New species, Scleractinia, Siderastreid, Western Pacific Ocean. A siderastreid scleractinian coral was Pseudosiderastrea, described as P. formosa sp. collected from several localities around Taiwan nov. and nearby islands, where it is relatively rare. The specimens present some morphological similarities with Pseudosiderastrea tayamai Yabe MATERIAL AND METHODS and Sugiyama, 1935, the only species hitherto known from that genus, and with Siderastrea Specimens were collected by scuba diving at savignyana Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849, Wanlitung (21°59'48"N, 120°42'10"E) and the outlet which is the sole representative in the Indian of the 3rd nuclear power plant (21°55'51.38"N, Ocean of the genus Siderastrea de Blainville, 120°44'46.82"E) on the southeastern coast 1830.
    [Show full text]
  • The Invasive Coral Oculina Patagonica Has Not Been Recently Introduced to the Mediterranean from the Western Atlantic Karine Posbic Leydet* and Michael E Hellberg
    Leydet and Hellberg BMC Evolutionary Biology (2015) 15:79 DOI 10.1186/s12862-015-0356-7 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access The invasive coral Oculina patagonica has not been recently introduced to the Mediterranean from the western Atlantic Karine Posbic Leydet* and Michael E Hellberg Abstract Background: Effective policies, management, and scientific research programs depend on the correct identification of invasive species as being either native or introduced. However, many species continue to be misidentified. Oculina patagonica, first recorded in the Mediterranean Sea in 1966, is believed to have been introduced in anthropogenic times and expanding in a west to east direction. However, its present identification and status as a recently introduced species remain to be explored. In this study, we used multi-locus genetic data to test whether O. patagonica in the Mediterranean has been recently introduced from the western North Atlantic. Results: We found no genetic or historical demographic evidence to support a recent introduction of O. patagonica from the western North Atlantic or an expansion across the Mediterranean. Instead, Mediterranean and Atlantic populations are genetically distinct and appear to have begun diverging about 5 Mya. We also found evidence of a fossil record of Oculina spp. existing in the eastern North Atlantic millions of years before the present. Conclusions: Our results suggest that Mediterranean populations of O. patagonica have long been isolated from the western Atlantic, either in undetectable numbers or overlooked and undersampled sites and habitats, and have only recently been expanding to invasive levels as a result of environmental changes. Accurate identification of species’ invasive statuses will enable more effective research programs aimed at better understanding the mechanisms promoting the invasive nature of species, which can then lead to the implementation of efficient management plans.
    [Show full text]
  • Cold-Water Corals in the Cap De Creus Canyon, Northwestern Mediterranean: Spatial Distribution, Density and Anthropogenic Impact
    Vol. 397: 37–51, 2009 MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Published December 17 doi: 10.3354/meps08314 Mar Ecol Prog Ser Contribution to the Theme Section ‘Conservation and management of deep-sea corals and coral reefs’ OPENPEN ACCESSCCESS Cold-water corals in the Cap de Creus canyon, northwestern Mediterranean: spatial distribution, density and anthropogenic impact Covadonga Orejas1, 4,*, Andrea Gori1, Claudio Lo Iacono2, Pere Puig1, Josep-Maria Gili1, Mark R. T. Dale3 1Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (CSIC), Pg Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain 2Unidad de Tecnología Marina (CSIC), Pg Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain 3University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), 3333 University Way, Prince George, British Columbia V2N 4Z9, Canada 4Centro Oceanográfico de Santander (IEO) Promontorio de San Martin s/n, 93004 Santander, Spain ABSTRACT: The occurrence and density of 3 cold-water coral (CWC) species (Madrepora oculata, Lophelia pertusa and Dendrophyllia cornigera) were investigated in the Cap de Creus canyon (north- western Mediterranean) by conducting and analysing 22 video survey transects. Species distribution patterns were also investigated at 3 spatial extents (km, 100s of m and m) across 3 of the transects using spatial statistics. Additionally, the locations of snagged benthic long-line fishing gear were logged across these 3 transects. Video surveys were carried out by both remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and the JAGO manned submersible. CWCs were present in 15 of the 22 survey transects, pre- dominantly those covering areas with hard substrate (boulders or hardrock outcrops). M. oculata was the most abundant CWC species in the survey transects, whereas L.
    [Show full text]
  • Resurrecting a Subgenus to Genus: Molecular Phylogeny of Euphyllia and Fimbriaphyllia (Order Scleractinia; Family Euphylliidae; Clade V)
    Resurrecting a subgenus to genus: molecular phylogeny of Euphyllia and Fimbriaphyllia (order Scleractinia; family Euphylliidae; clade V) Katrina S. Luzon1,2,3,*, Mei-Fang Lin4,5,6,*, Ma. Carmen A. Ablan Lagman1,7, Wilfredo Roehl Y. Licuanan1,2,3 and Chaolun Allen Chen4,8,9,* 1 Biology Department, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines 2 Shields Ocean Research (SHORE) Center, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines 3 The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines 4 Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 5 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia 6 Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan 7 Center for Natural Sciences and Environmental Research (CENSER), De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines 8 Taiwan International Graduate Program-Biodiversity, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 9 Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan * These authors contributed equally to this work. ABSTRACT Background. The corallum is crucial in building coral reefs and in diagnosing systematic relationships in the order Scleractinia. However, molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed a paraphyly in a majority of traditional families and genera among Scleractinia showing that other biological attributes of the coral, such as polyp morphology and reproductive traits, are underutilized. Among scleractinian genera, the Euphyllia, with nine nominal species in the Indo-Pacific region, is one of the groups Submitted 30 May 2017 that await phylogenetic resolution. Multiple genetic markers were used to construct Accepted 31 October 2017 Published 4 December 2017 the phylogeny of six Euphyllia species, namely E. ancora, E. divisa, E.
    [Show full text]
  • Deep‐Sea Coral Taxa in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico: Depth and Geographical Distribution
    Deep‐Sea Coral Taxa in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico: Depth and Geographical Distribution by Peter J. Etnoyer1 and Stephen D. Cairns2 1. NOAA Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Charleston, SC 2. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC This annex to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico chapter in “The State of Deep‐Sea Coral Ecosystems of the United States” provides a list of deep‐sea coral taxa in the Phylum Cnidaria, Classes Anthozoa and Hydrozoa, known to occur in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Figure 1). Deep‐sea corals are defined as azooxanthellate, heterotrophic coral species occurring in waters 50 m deep or more. Details are provided on the vertical and geographic extent of each species (Table 1). This list is adapted from species lists presented in ʺBiodiversity of the Gulf of Mexicoʺ (Felder & Camp 2009), which inventoried species found throughout the entire Gulf of Mexico including areas outside U.S. waters. Taxonomic names are generally those currently accepted in the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), and are arranged by order, and alphabetically within order by suborder (if applicable), family, genus, and species. Data sources (references) listed are those principally used to establish geographic and depth distribution. Only those species found within the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Economic Zone are presented here. Information from recent studies that have expanded the known range of species into the U.S. Gulf of Mexico have been included. The total number of species of deep‐sea corals documented for the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 2. Animals
    AC20 Doc. 8.5 Annex (English only/Seulement en anglais/Únicamente en inglés) REVIEW OF SIGNIFICANT TRADE ANALYSIS OF TRADE TRENDS WITH NOTES ON THE CONSERVATION STATUS OF SELECTED SPECIES Volume 2. Animals Prepared for the CITES Animals Committee, CITES Secretariat by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre JANUARY 2004 AC20 Doc. 8.5 – p. 3 Prepared and produced by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK UNEP WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE (UNEP-WCMC) www.unep-wcmc.org The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre is the biodiversity assessment and policy implementation arm of the United Nations Environment Programme, the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organisation. UNEP-WCMC aims to help decision-makers recognise the value of biodiversity to people everywhere, and to apply this knowledge to all that they do. The Centre’s challenge is to transform complex data into policy-relevant information, to build tools and systems for analysis and integration, and to support the needs of nations and the international community as they engage in joint programmes of action. UNEP-WCMC provides objective, scientifically rigorous products and services that include ecosystem assessments, support for implementation of environmental agreements, regional and global biodiversity information, research on threats and impacts, and development of future scenarios for the living world. Prepared for: The CITES Secretariat, Geneva A contribution to UNEP - The United Nations Environment Programme Printed by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK © Copyright: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre/CITES Secretariat The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP or contributory organisations.
    [Show full text]
  • (Anthozoa) from the Lower Oligocene (Rupelian) of the Eastern Alps, Austria
    TO L O N O G E I L C A A P I ' T A A T L E I I A Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 59 (3), 2020, 319-336. Modena C N O A S S. P. I. Scleractinian corals (Anthozoa) from the lower Oligocene (Rupelian) of the Eastern Alps, Austria Rosemarie Christine Baron-Szabo* & Diethard Sanders R.C. Baron-Szabo, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, NMNH, W-205, MRC 163, P.O. Box 37012, Washington DC, 20013- 7012 USA; Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany; [email protected]; Rosemarie.Baron- [email protected] *corresponding author D. Sanders, Institut für Geologie, Universität of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria; [email protected] KEY WORDS - Scleractinia, taxonomy, paleoecology, paleobiogeography. ABSTRACT - In the Werlberg Member (Rupelian pro parte) of the Paisslberg Formation (Eastern Alps), an assemblage of colonial corals of eleven species pertaining to eleven genera and eleven families was identified:Stylocoenia carryensis, Acropora lavandulina, ?Colpophyllia sp., Dendrogyra intermedia, Caulastraea pseudoflabellum, Hydnophyllia costata, Pindosmilia cf. brunni, Actinacis rollei, Pavona profunda, Agathiphyllia gregaria, and Faksephyllia faxoensis. This is the first Oligocene coral assemblage reported from the Paisslberg Formation (Werlberg Member) of the Eastern Alps, consisting exclusively of colonial forms. The assemblage represents the northernmost fauna of reefal corals reported to date for Rupelian time. The Werlberg Member accumulated during marine transgression onto a truncated succession of older carbonate rocks. The corals grew as isolated colonies and in carpets in a protected shoreface setting punctuated by high-energy events. Coral growth forms comprise massive to sublamellar forms, and branched (dendroid, ramose) forms.
    [Show full text]
  • Final Corals Supplemental Information Report
    Supplemental Information Report on Status Review Report And Draft Management Report For 82 Coral Candidate Species November 2012 Southeast and Pacific Islands Regional Offices National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Department of Commerce Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Methods .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 MISCELLANEOUS COMMENTS RECEIVED ...................................................................................................... 3 SRR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 4 2. General Background on Corals and Coral Reefs .................................................................................... 4 2.1 Taxonomy & Distribution .............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Scleractinia Fauna of Taiwan I
    Scleractinia Fauna of Taiwan I. The Complex Group 台灣石珊瑚誌 I. 複雜類群 Chang-feng Dai and Sharon Horng Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University Published by National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, Taiwan Table of Contents Scleractinia Fauna of Taiwan ................................................................................................1 General Introduction ........................................................................................................1 Historical Review .............................................................................................................1 Basics for Coral Taxonomy ..............................................................................................4 Taxonomic Framework and Phylogeny ........................................................................... 9 Family Acroporidae ............................................................................................................ 15 Montipora ...................................................................................................................... 17 Acropora ........................................................................................................................ 47 Anacropora .................................................................................................................... 95 Isopora ...........................................................................................................................96 Astreopora ......................................................................................................................99
    [Show full text]
  • The Earliest Diverging Extant Scleractinian Corals Recovered by Mitochondrial Genomes Isabela G
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN The earliest diverging extant scleractinian corals recovered by mitochondrial genomes Isabela G. L. Seiblitz1,2*, Kátia C. C. Capel2, Jarosław Stolarski3, Zheng Bin Randolph Quek4, Danwei Huang4,5 & Marcelo V. Kitahara1,2 Evolutionary reconstructions of scleractinian corals have a discrepant proportion of zooxanthellate reef-building species in relation to their azooxanthellate deep-sea counterparts. In particular, the earliest diverging “Basal” lineage remains poorly studied compared to “Robust” and “Complex” corals. The lack of data from corals other than reef-building species impairs a broader understanding of scleractinian evolution. Here, based on complete mitogenomes, the early onset of azooxanthellate corals is explored focusing on one of the most morphologically distinct families, Micrabaciidae. Sequenced on both Illumina and Sanger platforms, mitogenomes of four micrabaciids range from 19,048 to 19,542 bp and have gene content and order similar to the majority of scleractinians. Phylogenies containing all mitochondrial genes confrm the monophyly of Micrabaciidae as a sister group to the rest of Scleractinia. This topology not only corroborates the hypothesis of a solitary and azooxanthellate ancestor for the order, but also agrees with the unique skeletal microstructure previously found in the family. Moreover, the early-diverging position of micrabaciids followed by gardineriids reinforces the previously observed macromorphological similarities between micrabaciids and Corallimorpharia as
    [Show full text]